THE FERN GAZETTE VOLUME ELEVEN PARTS TWO AND THREE 1975 THE JOURNAL OF THE BRITISHPTERIDOLOGICAL SOCIETY FERN GAZETTE VOLUME l1 PAR1S2 & 3 1975 CONTENTS Page A re-defintion of the Gymnogrammoid genus Austrogramme Fournier - E. Hennipman 61 The biogeography of endemism in the Cyatheaceae- R. Tryon and G Gastony 73 wnathyrium in the Azores- W.A. Sledge 81 The gametophyte of Chingia pseudoferox- Lennette R. Atkinson 87 Ta xonomic notes on some African species of Elaphoglossum - R.E. G Pichi Sermolli 95 Observations on the spread of the American fern Pityrogramma calomelanos -E.A. CL. E. ::Che/pe 101 A phytogeographic analysis of Choc6 Pteridophytes- D. B. Le/linger 105 Studies in the systematics of filmy ferns: I. A note on the identity of Microtrichomanes - K. Jwatsuki 115 A hybrid polypody from the New World tropics - W.H. Wagner and Florence Wagner 125 Aspidistes thomasii- a jurassic member of the Thelypteridaceae- }.£?. Lovis 137 A new arrangement for the pteridophyte herbarium - j.A. Crabbe, A.C jermy and }.M. Mickel 141 A note on the distribution of lsoetes in the Cadiz Province, Spain - Betty Moles worth A lien 163 Lecanopteris spinosa; a new ant-fern from Indonesia - A.C jermy and T. G Walker 165 Dryopteris tyrrhena nom. nov. - a misunderstood western Mediterranean species - C.R. Fraser jenkins and T. Reichstein 177 THE BRITISH FERN GAZETTE Volume 11 Part 1 was published 6 February 1975 Published by THE BRITISH PTERIDOLOGICAL SOCIETY, c /o Department of Botany, Museum {Natural History} . London SW7 5BD. \ )�eA·r""-�\t". 197�· This issue is dedicated to RICHARD ERIC HOLTTUM Honorary Member and Past- President of the British Pteridological Society, Director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens 1925- 1949 and Professor of Botany, Universit y of Malaya, Singapore 1949- 1954 on the occasion of his Eightieth Birthday 20th July 1975 FERN GAZ. 11(2 & 3) 1975. 61 A RE-DEFINITION OF THE GYMNOGRAMMOID GENUS AUSTROGRAMME FOURNIER E. HENNIPMAN Rijksherbarium, Leiden, Netherlands ABSTRACT The Gymnogrammoid genusAustrogramme is reinstated to accommodate five species formerly referred to Aspleniopsis, Rheopteris, and Syngramma. A key is included. The genus is divided into two sections including Section Aspleniopsis (Fournier) Hennipman. The following new combinations are proposed: Austrogramme asplenioides (Holttum) Hennipman, A. boerlageana (v.A.v.R.I Hennipman, A. decipiens (Metteniusl Hennipman and A. francii (Rosenstock) Hennipman. The now monotypic genus Rhaopteris Alston is excluded from the Gymnogrammoid ferns. The relationship of Austrogramme to Taenitis and Syngramma is discussed. INTRODUCT ION When making routine identifications at the Rijksherbarium I came across a specimen of Rheopteris asplenioides Holttum (New Guinea) which appeared to me as probably intimately related to Aspleniopsis decipiens (Mettenius) Kuhn, which is indigenous to New Caledonia, the New Hebrides, and possibly also New Ireland (Brownlie 1969). This aroused my interest, also as the real affinity of the mo00typic genusAspleniopsis was said to be unknown (Copeland 1947). In a correspondence, Prof. Holttum suggested that Syngramma boerlageana v.A.v.R. from the Moluccas, and the New Caledonian Syngramma marginata (Mettenius) Diels and S. fra ncii Rosenstock, might be related to these as they did not fit into the genus Syngramma as presently construed by him. Detailed studies of the vascular organisation, the disposition of the sporangia, the spores, and the paraphyses, surprisingly showed conspicuous similarities in all of them. They further appeared to be different from Syngramma and Taenitis by the combination of leaf·shape and venation pattern. As a result, the genus Austrogramme Fournier, based on A. marginata is reinstated. The relationship of the Gymnogrammoid genus Austrogramme to Syngramma sensu Holttum (1954) (thus including Craspedodic tyum Copeland), and to Ta enitis sensu Holttum (1968) is discussed also in view of Walker (1968) and my own observations on representatives of the latter two genera. Another finding of interest regards the identity of the now monotypic genus Rheopteris Alston. Rheopteris cheesmaniae Alston - the type species of the genus­ appeared to be genetically different from R. asplenioides (here referred· to Austrogramme). The genus which was formerly referred to the Gymnogrammoid �erns by Holttum (1962) shows several aberr·ant features. Its relationship will be discussed in detail later (Hennipman, in preparation). MATE RIAL AND METHODS The present study is based on herbarium material present at the Rijksherbarium (L), as well as on additional collections of Austrogramme asplenioides, A. decipiens, A. francii, A. marginata, and Rheopteris cheesmaniae present at the British Museum (Natu ral History), London (BM); the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K), and the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris (P). Spores were stu died embedded in glycerine gelatine with the light microscope, 62 FERN GAZETTE: VOLUME 11 PART 2 & 3 (1975) and coated with gold in a Cambridge Stereoscan. The details of the spore-morphology are described from the electron micrographs. Paraphyses were studied after boiling in an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide for one minute. Cross-sections of rhizome and petiole were made following routine procedures. OBSERVAT IONS Vascular organisation The vascular organisation of Austrogramme is uniform. The rhizome is solenostelic like in Taenitis and Syngramma species. T�e petiole of Austrogramme sh ows on cross-section two lateral vascular bundles. In Taenitis the number of vascular bundles in the petiole was found to be one (V-shaped) in T. cordata (Van Royen 5462) and two in the other species. In Syngramma the number of vascular bundles is four inS. luzonica, three inS. alismifolia, and two inS. borneensis. The observations on Syngramma and Taenitis are generally in accordance with Walker (1968). Shape of the leaves and venation pattern In Austrogramme compound leaves have a triangular terminal segment (A. ·asplenioides, A. boerlageana, A. decipiens), and a venation pattern which is either reticulate (A . boerlageana) or (largely) free (A. asplenioides, A. decipiens). The species with simple leaves (A. francii, A. marginata) have free veins. Compound leaves of Ta enitis and Syngramma have the terminal segment ±. conform to the pinnae. The venation pattern of all the species, thus including those with simple leaves, shows anastomosing veins at least towards the margin of the pinnae or the leaves. For illustrations of the venation patterns of Syngramma and Taenitis species see Holttum (1954) and Walker (1968). The disposition of the sporangia In Austrogramme the sporangia are situated in .± orbicular to elongate sori, varying in size and generally situated, either mainly or exclusively along the distal parts of each vein or irregularly. lh Syngramma the sporangia are generally inserted regularly all along each vein. Sporangia are variously situated in Taenitis (for details see Holttum 1968), a condition as found in Austrogramme is, however, not realised. Paraphyses In Austrogramme the paraphyses of the sori are mainly inserted either on the stalk of the sporangium (in groups of 2-8) or on the epidermis. They are uniseriate, unbranched, and vary in shape but usually have the upper part curved. They consist of a± conical, small, hyaline or brownish, glandular (?), terminal cell, generally 4-7, ± spherical or elongate, yellowish to brownish, glandular subterminal cells, along with a varying number of non-glandular ± hyaline cells. The number of non-glandular cells is generally 1-3 when the paraphysis is inserted on the stalk of the sporangium. In mature glandular cells of the paraphyses of A. asplenioides, A. boerlageana, and A. marginata, small openings were observed (figs 1-5). In Tae nitis the paraphyses show a range of variation. 'I n T. blechnoides, T. in te"upta, and T. marginata, they are mainly inserted on the stalk of the sporangia. Their shape is almost similar to that of Austrogramme except for the terminal cell which is glandular and not deviating from the other glandular ones. Those of T. HENNIPMAN: AUSTROGRAMME- A RE-DEFINITION 63 130 ,u 1 2 4 5 FIGURES 1-5: Paraphyses of Austrogramme. 1, A. asp len ioides (Henty & Foreman NGF 42542). 2, A. boerlageana (Buwalda 6175). 3, A. decipiens (Croo kewit s. n., L. 339327). 4, A. francii (Compton 1480, BM). 5, A. marginata (Compto n 1722, BM). vittarioides and T. f/abellivenia are essentially the same but are distinct because of the large number of glandular and non-glandular cells. In T. requiniana the paraphyses are mainly inserted on the epidermis; two different kinds were found. In BSIP 1987, 6329, 7292 (from the Solomon Islands), and LAE 53748 (from New Guinea) they are c. 375 J.lm long, straight, CIJnsist of 5- 7 cells, of which the terminal cell is curved, brownish, presumably glandular, and has rather thick cell walls, the other, non-glandular cells are thin-walled and lighter coloured. Those found in NGF 2984 1 (from New Guinea) are 500-700 pm long, curved in the upper part, consist of 5-7 cells, and are all except for the lovitermost one or two cells filled with a granular, obviously glandular substance. In T. pinnata, and T. corda ta only the terminal cell of the paraphysis seems glandular. As regards T. pinnata, over 10 brownish paraphyses consisting of 6 or 7 cells are inserted on each stalk of the sporangia in A.C. Smith 6565 (Fiji), whereas in Carr 12144 (New Guinea) few paraphyses are present on each stalk which, moreover, consist of about 11 cells. The paraphyses of T. lanceolaia (syn.: Syngramma hookeri) , and T. hosei are very different from the above as they are exclusively seated on the stalk of the sporangia, generally one to each stalk, and consist of only 2-3 elongate cells of which the terminal cell is glandular. Much variation of the paraphyses also occurs in Syngramma. Paraphyses are abse'nt in S. quinata, whi 1st those of S. a/ism ifolia, and S. luzonica appear to be mainly inserted on the stalk of the sporangium, generally one to each stalk.